Breakthrough Energy Foundation
Breakthrough Energy Foundation is a public charity based in Kirkland, Washington. Formed in 2020, it supports climate-technology innovation from discovery through development and deployment, including work to develop and advocate for clean-energy policies.
Breakthrough Energy Foundation at a glance
In short: Breakthrough Energy Foundation gave $71.9M across 149 grants in 2024 (avg $482K), top state California. 42% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $71,865,100
- -1.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 149
- +12.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $482,316
- -12.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $200,000
- Total assets
- $75,179,533
- -49.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (52 of 125, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (27% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Breakthrough Energy Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 563, Kirkland, WA 98083
Phone: (425) 497-4300
Website: https://breakthroughenergy.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Breakthrough Energy Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was RF Catalytic Capital Inc ($10.3M). Together the top 10 received $34.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
408 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 101 grants of 408 (25%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (27%), New York (19%), and the District of Columbia (15%), followed by Washington (6%) and Massachusetts (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 149 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Breakthrough Energy Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 52 of 125 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $323K; repeat grants $754K. How we count
Medians: $200K first-time, $300K repeat.
- 51% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $48.7M (2021, 15 months) to $88.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 149 grants totaling $71.9M.
*2021: Covers 15 months (fiscal year-end changed).
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| RF Catalytic Capital Inc New York, NY | Policy Implementation | $10,306,054 |
| Multiplier San Francisco, CA | Policy Development | $5,000,000 |
| Breakthrough Energy Action Kirkland, WA | Policy Development | $4,021,314 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Cleantech Exploration | $2,500,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Institute Boulder, CO | Policy Development | $2,105,050 |
| Mars Materials Inc Oakland, CA | Cleantech R&D | $2,062,015 |
| Great Plains Institute for Sustainable Development Minneapolis, MN | Policy Implementation | $1,750,000 |
| Aikido Technologies Inc San Francisco, CA | Cleantech R&D | $1,687,260 |
| Takachar Richmond, CA | Cleantech R&D | $1,571,129 |
| Third Way Institute Washington, DC | Policy Development | $1,480,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
EIN: 85-3672460.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $75,179,533 | $32,501,173 | $109,280,588 | $71,865,100 | 149 | $2,246,808 |
| 2023 | $149,387,605 | $115,229,753 | $107,742,439 | $72,684,935 | 132 | $4,201,447 |
| 2022 | $151,460,317 | $5,356,937 | $124,246,345 | $88,927,508 | 94 | $2,734,670 |
| 2021* | $272,263,093 | $318,232,226 | $64,107,898 | $48,702,188 | 33 | $-6,686,749 |
*2021: Covers 15 months (fiscal year-end changed).
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to accelerate climate-technology innovation at every stage, working with a network of innovators, business and industry leaders, and policy experts.
Its stated program areas include developing and advocating for policies that public- and private-sector leaders can implement to support clean-energy solutions, and supporting early-stage innovators through the Breakthrough Energy Fellows Program to help bridge the gap from lab to market. Its 2024 grants included awards designated for policy development, policy implementation, clean-tech exploration, and clean-tech research and development.
Grantees’ own missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Rocky Mountain Institute says it works to transform the global energy system toward a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future; Great Plains Institute says it works to accelerate the transition to net-zero carbon emissions; and ClearPath says it works to accelerate American innovation to reduce global energy emissions. Multiplier describes its mission as accelerating initiatives focused on a healthy, sustainable, resilient, and equitable world.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 149 grants totaling $71,865,100. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $10,306,054, with a median of $200,000. The largest award was $10,306,054 to RF Catalytic Capital Inc. for policy implementation. Other large awards included $5,000,000 to Multiplier for policy development, $4,021,314 to Breakthrough Energy Action for policy development, and $2,500,000 to the University of Chicago for clean-tech exploration.
The Foundation also awarded $2,105,050 to Rocky Mountain Institute for policy development, $2,062,015 to Mars Materials Inc. for clean-tech research and development, and $1,750,000 to Great Plains Institute for Sustainable Development for policy implementation. Its filing states that grants are made after a written determination that the recipient is suitable and the grant furthers the Foundation’s charitable purposes. It also describes reviewing grant proposals and reports on grantees’ use of funds and project status, and investigating information about possible diversion of grant funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Rodi Guidero as managing director, Greg Nelson as director, Cindy Leeper as secretary and treasurer, and Michael Boots as executive vice president.
Breakthrough Energy Foundation is led by Rodi Guidero, Managing Director on every filing since 2022; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Rodi Guidero
Managing Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg Nelson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cindy Leeper
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Boots
Executive Vice President
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Jonah Goldman (2021–2022) — Managing Director -
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Breakthrough Energy Foundation
How much does Breakthrough Energy Foundation give each year?
Breakthrough Energy Foundation gave $71.9M across 149 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $72.7M across 132 grants.
What is Breakthrough Energy Foundation's typical grant size?
Breakthrough Energy Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $200,000, and its average grant was $482,316, across 149 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Breakthrough Energy Foundation that year got $323K on average.
Where does Breakthrough Energy Foundation give grants?
Breakthrough Energy Foundation's top state is California, with 27% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (19%) and District of Columbia (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (43 grants), New York, NY (10 grants), San Francisco, CA (6 grants) and Oakland, CA (6 grants).
Does Breakthrough Energy Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 149 grants with a stated purpose on Breakthrough Energy Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Policy Development" (48 grants), "Policy Implementation" (33 grants) and "Cleantech R&D" (29 grants).
Who are Breakthrough Energy Foundation's largest grantees?
Breakthrough Energy Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include RF Catalytic Capital Inc ($10,306,054), Multiplier ($5,000,000) and Breakthrough Energy Action ($4,021,314), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Breakthrough Energy Foundation?
Breakthrough Energy Foundation reported $75.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $32.5M.
What does Breakthrough Energy Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to accelerate climate-technology innovation at every stage, working with a network of innovators, business and industry leaders, and policy experts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Breakthrough Energy Foundation?
Breakthrough Energy Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check breakthroughenergy.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Breakthrough Energy Foundation's EIN?
Breakthrough Energy Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-3672460. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Breakthrough Energy Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Breakthrough Energy Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/breakthrough-energy-foundation-morg_a7f8ae4bf974495c88682dd3e0572c2e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_853672460_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Breakthrough Energy Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/breakthrough-energy-foundation-morg_a7f8ae4bf974495c88682dd3e0572c2e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Breakthrough Energy Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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